Lawmakers and the Manhattan district attorney’s office have introduced a new bill that would increase criminal penalties for landlords who harass tenants in rent-regulated apartments. The proposed legislation would establish a new class D felony called aggravated harassment of a rent-regulated tenant. Currently, harassment of rent-stabilized tenants is classified as a class E felony, but under the new bill, charges could be elevated if landlords engage in systematic harassment across multiple buildings or have previously been convicted of the lower-level offense.
The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of landlord practices in New York City. Just one day before the bill was unveiled, Joseph Chetrit, a well-known real estate figure, was indicted and added to an ongoing case involving his brother Meyer. Both face allegations related to tenant harassment at a Chelsea property they own. Authorities say these cases are part of broader efforts to enforce laws against landlord misconduct.
“We need more tools to hold bad actors accountable,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg at Thursday’s press conference. “We want to have a chilling effect.”
Under current law, the lower felony charge—requiring evidence that at least two tenants were harassed—carries up to four years in prison, though such sentences are rarely imposed. The proposed higher-level felony would increase the maximum sentence to seven years.
Following changes made by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, landlords can no longer raise rents on vacant rent-stabilized units, removing much of the previous financial motivation for tenant turnover. However, attorneys representing tenants report that instances of harassment have not decreased since those reforms.
State Senator Brian Kavanagh noted this persistence at the press event: “Most landlords are doing the right thing, they’re following the law,” Kavanagh said. “But unfortunately there are landlords in this city who often systematically try to go after their tenants and try to push them out of their homes.”
Assemblymember Micah Lasher also spoke about escalating penalties for large-scale offenses by landlords. He shared his own experience renting from Steve Croman—who later faced legal consequences for widespread tenant harassment—and described how civil actions sometimes fall short: “That was a case where it became clear that the civil and administrative remedies are not enough,” said Lasher.
Recent headlines have focused on Bragg’s prosecution of Joseph and Meyer Chetrit over claims they targeted senior citizens in rent-stabilized apartments with unsafe living conditions as part of an effort to force them out. Attorneys for both brothers deny any wrongdoing and argue that prosecutors are motivated by politics.
“Where power asymmetries exist, criminal activity follows,” Bragg said.
